Container



May 6, 1930.

H. M. NICHOLLS 1,757,208

CONTAINER Filed May 9, 192"! Patented May 6, 1930 UNITED. STATES HENRY M. NICHOLLS, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ,VASSIGNOR To AMERIC N can COMPANY,

on NEW YoRK, N. Y., A CORPORATION on NEW JERSEY CONTAINER 7 Application filed May 9, 192 Serial no. 189,811..

This invention relates in general to containers and has for a principal object the provision of a container having a bail attachable to the container in two positions in 5 one of which the. bailhas normal free swinging connection with'the container, and in the 1 A further importantobject of the invention is theprovision of a'bail 'for containers adapted for attachment upon thecontainer by merely snapping a slotted portion of the. bail upon lugs secured to the container and which may be locked in engagementupon the surface of the container when-not in use, as

during packing and shipment, and which 7 may be shifted upon the oontainerlugs to unlock the bail for normal use;

Still another important objectof the invention is the provision of an easily attachable bail for containers which is simple and strong and which cannot readily become detached from attached position on the container.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the inventionwill be apparent as it'is better understood from the following description,

which, taken in connection with thel'accompa-nying drawings,'discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawingsi I Fig. 1 is'an elevational view of g a container embodying my invention;

Fig; 2 is a similar view of thesame conlocking process; 1 1

Fig. 3is a similar view partly showing'the bail temporarily locked against the side walls tainer illustrating a final step of the bail un- 745 of the container, and illustrating the possi- Arsnr OFFICE,

bility of rolling the container upon end 4 closure seams Without interference from the bail; V.

Fig. 4 is'a section-taken substantially. on line 4 -4 in Fig. 3; and- Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view illustrate convenient shape; the container herein dis.-

closed being'cylindrical and is provided with bail lugs 15 oppositely secured to the side walls of the container adjacent the top. The end closures areof any suitable type and are secured to thecontainer bodyby means of a double lap seam16. The container body is thus formed with a portion 11 of smaller diameter and a portion 16 of larger diameter. The bailv lugs 15 are-formed of sheet metal formed to provide a flange 17, a neck 18 of reduced diameter and a base portion 19. The.

body 11 is oppositely recessed adjacent the top edge to provide sockets 21 adapted to'engage the base portion19 of the lugs, and the .lugs are secured to the body 11 by-spot-Welding, soldering, or-in any suitable manner. Thebail 14 is formed of'a sheet metal strip having curled edges22 to provide reinforcej.

.mentr The bail has a shape adapted to embrace :the external surface i of the body 11 when engaged therewith and is provided with a slot in atleast one endand preferably in both ends. This slot has a particular shape and is arranged to provide adjustable engagement of the bail and its supporting lugs. The slot is adapted to provide engagement between the bail andthe lugs at a plurality of remote points in the bail and comprises a straight sided aperture 23 the lower end-25 of-which is rounded and arranged to engage the neck'portion 18 of the lug 15 when the bail has normal'engag'ement as illustrated in Fig.

1 of the drawings. The upper end of the slot 23 opens into two upper slot portions 24. These portions open into each other and into the lower slot portion and are rounded to engage the neck 18 of the lug. The slot has a substantially trifolium outline. The opening between the slot portions 24 and'23 is redueed to provide a locking shoulder 26, the opening being sufiiciently large to allow the lug to be snapped from engagement in the main slot portion 23 into engagement in either of the side slots 24. The slot portionsm24 provide means for changing the center of suspension of thebail upon thebail lugs so that I the bail may be collapsed fromnormal posi tion into engagement upon the container slot'a's shownin Fig. 5 of the drawings The walls as shown in Fi 3 f h ye rotating the bail in either direction through 90 from the normal position shown in Fig. 1; and pushing it into engagement with the sidewalls ofthe canbo'dy, tlie lug sliding longitudinally through the slot portion 23 until opposite the slot portions 24xwhence it iflsvforcibly engaged in the lowerot the two portions past'the locking shoulder 26i The slotportions'24 are so positioned in the bail that when the lugs are engaged'therein,the bail'is held securelyf'e'ngaged againstthe outer side ofthe container body the bail having an upwardly disposed side edge parallel with and adjacent to the upper container seam 16. The slots 24 may be arrangedin the slot-23 to permit the bail tobe locked'withits'upwardly i .Y disposed edge asclose to the'fend seam as debai'l maybe locked in engagedposition'upon either side of the eontainer since the lug may be engaged with, either of? slot'portions 24.

g In collapsed position 'thefbailjis seCLHed against the container walls and it" is evident that the container maybe rolled in fconveying or can handling machinery and that it maybe 1 Paq d'r W th u n er eren e r m the b i .Bindin fact as-if there was no bail. The efficiency of the bail, however, is notfimpaire d by thenovel arrangement oftheparts.

.Itvis though that-athe invention and many a of :its attendant advantages will be .:understoodfroin the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes maybe made in the form of the containerand in the construction and arrangement of thef parts without departing from the spirit andsco'pe rial advantages, the form hereinbefore deside of the container; no 1:

scribed being merely thereof.

' Iclaim:

1. A bail for containers consisting of a sheet metal strip having longitudinal slots 23 formed in its end portions; said slots having lateral extensions of a width to receive the shanks of the bail pivot lugs, said extensions locking the bail relative to the lug, and holding the bail against outwarcl novement when itisl'nested against the side. of the cona preferred embodiment ,tainer to which said bail is applied, the sheet m al. o .t ebai be ngiyie dabl .tQ. Permit the ends oithejoail to slide edgewise intoem gagement" under the heads of said lugs.

, V 2.,,The combination of a container having anl1 a sheet metal hail having longitudinal slots 23 formed infits end portions, said slots having lateral; extensions of; a. widt-hLtoTreceive the shanks bfithe lbail-tpiivottlugstsaid extensions locking the bailrelati ve to the lug, and holding the bail against outward move:-

a' l'a'terally and outwardly projecting part,

ment' when it "is nestdi againsfl'tlfer side of the container and \against said: outwardly extending part, the sheet metalshouldereportions'at-the points where said slots and'latera-l extensions intersect beingfyildabl'ejtoj,p'ers mit the ends of theibai'l to slideedgewise into v engagement under the headsofsaid lugs'.-

3. bail for containers eonsistingfof sheet metalfformed withnlongitudina'l' slots atits ends andwith a lateral extension .dfs'ai'df slot forming a shoulder, in combinationnwith .1- pivot lugs for; the;,ends of said bail: having heads over which theen'ds of th'e'bail may be slipped into pivotal and locked p'osition-fby the yielding-of the-sheet metal of the-bail at said lateral extension, saidsshoulder forming a- "stop *to hold? the bail nested against the 4 The combination lot. a; container -having pivot"lugs, and a bail'having slots engaging said lugs andadapt'ed'i to susp'en'd the can,'the bail bei'ng slidable and collapsible inward on's'aid lugs against thet outerzsideibf the containeribody; and releasable in'e'an's fixedly" associated with the ends of theibail and functionally related to the-lugs,'forlock ing the bail, when in'th'e latter positionfimd keeping it tainerw.

" 5. The coinbinatibnibffa against the outer sideiof the conhaving pivot lugs, and a bail. having; slots an:

engaging said lugs and adapted;t.o. sus'penTd the can, thebail being slibableand 'collap's'ible inward on said lugs against theou'te'rsid'e of the container body,;'s'aid slotshavingao'fi'set portions adapted'to receive thel'lugsfforf lock- 2.:

ing the bail, when in the latter positiomand keeping itagainst the outertside'o f the ontainer. V

w v n 6; The combination ZaFconta iner" body "of the invention or sacrlficing all of its mateformedwitha portion oflarger diameter and a a portion of smaller diameter, pivot lugs on said portion of small diameter, and a bail having slots engaging said lugs and adapted to suspend the container, the bail being slidalole and collapsible inward on said lugs against the outer side of said container portion of smaller diameter, whereby said container portion of larger diameter projects outward substantially as far as the collapsed bail, and releasable means fixedly associated with the ends of the bail and functionally related to the lugs, for locking the bail when in the latter position and keeping it within the line of the circumference of said portionof larger diameter.

HENRY M. NIoHoLLs. 

